survival & adventure books

Autumn of the Royal Tar by Bruce Stone. When a ship sinks off the coast of Maine, 12 year old Nora tries to help the survivors which include an orphaned boy and an elephant.

Grace, by Jill Paton Walsh. After helping her father rescue the survivors of a shipwreck on the coast of England in 1838, Grace Darling finds her quiet life crumbling around her as she is unwillingly fashioned into a national hero.

The Devil's Own, by Deborah Lisson. Bored on her father's yacht off the west coast of Australia, 15 year old Julianna finds herself swept into a 17th century nightmare of shipwreck, mutiny, and murder.

Lyddie, by Katherine Paterson. Impoverished Vermont farm girl Lyddie Worthen is determined to gain her independence by becoming a factory worker in Lowell, Massachusetts, in the 1840s.

The Solitary, by Lynn Hall. With her mother in prison for killing her father, 17 year old Jane seeks to escape her past and find self-reliance on an Arkansas homestead.

Wild Timothy. by Gary L. Blackwood. 13-year-old Timothy, more interested in reading than in physical activity, reluctantly accompanies his enthusiastic father on a camping trip and, when he accidentally becomes lost in the woods, discovers that he is capable of surviving on his own.

Kumquat May, I'll Always Love You by Cynthia D. Grant. Abandoned by her mother, Livvy decides she is smart and self-reliant enough to live by herself, if she can only keep her situation a secret.

Tex, by S. E. Hinton. The love between two teenage brothers helps to alleviate the harshness of their usually parentless life as they struggle to survive and grow to adulthood.

The Cay, by Theodore Taylor. A blinded boy and an old black sailor are shipwrecked on a coral island.

The Hostage, by Theodore Taylor. 14-year-old Jamie and his father capture a killer whale but face the wrath of environmentalists who want it freed.

Snowbound, by Harry Mazer. A boy and girl survive for several days after being trapped in a snow storm.

Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen. Teenage Brian survives a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness but then must fend for himself.

Canyons, by Gary Paulsen. Blennan becomes obsessed with the story of a young Indian boy murdered by white men 100 years before.

Dogsong, by Gary Paulsen. An Eskimo youth faces hardship and danger when he ventures alone by dogsled into the wilderness.

Voyage of the Frog, by Gary Paulsen. Alone on a 22-foot sailboat, a 14 year old boy survives a 9-day sea ordeal.

Hit and Run, by Joan Phipson. After being involved in a hit-and-run accident, a pampered Australian boy escapes into the bushland.

Dicey's Song, by Cynthia Voigt. Homeless Dicey and her younger siblings arrive at their grandmother's home. The story of their journey is told in The Homecoming.

Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O'Dell. Karana must fend for herself when she is left on a remote California island.

Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Craighead George. An Eskimo girl travels across Alaska alone to find a new life.

After the First Death, by Robert Cormier. A busload of schoolchildren become the victims of a terrorist plot.

The Slave Dancer, by Paula Fox. A young fifer is kidnapped and forced to play his instrument to exercise slaves on a slave ship.

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, by Avi. An adventure story set in the 1850s about a 13 year old girl and her voyage to America on a ship with a murderous crew.

The Island Keeper, by Harry Mazer. Grief stricken after the death of her sister, a teenager runs off to an uninhabited island to thing things through, only to find her route back cut off and the prospect of her own death looming large.

Hostage! by James Hamilton-Paterson. Chubby, unathletic Wayne Bulkeley is mistakenly kidnapped by Arab guerrillas who are after the son of a diplomat.

Coming Back Alive, by Dennis J. Reader. Bridget and Dylan, both traumatized by events in their respective families, retreat into the mountains where, in a complete isolation, they have to learn to survive in the wilderness.

The Exeter Blitz, by David Rees. 14-year-old Colin, caught in the cathedral tower, survives the German Bombing of Exeter, England in 1942.

A Wallingford Public Library Reading List for Young Adults

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| Last Updated: February 15, 2008 |